Crossref journal-article
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Science (221)
Abstract

An active microbial assemblage cycles sulfur in a sulfate-rich, ancient marine brine beneath Taylor Glacier, an outlet glacier of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, with Fe(III) serving as the terminal electron acceptor. Isotopic measurements of sulfate, water, carbonate, and ferrous iron and functional gene analyses of adenosine 5′-phosphosulfate reductase imply that a microbial consortium facilitates a catalytic sulfur cycle. These metabolic pathways result from a limited organic carbon supply because of the absence of contemporary photosynthesis, yielding a subglacial ferrous brine that is anoxic but not sulfidic. Coupled biogeochemical processes below the glacier enable subglacial microbes to grow in extended isolation, demonstrating how analogous organic-starved systems, such as Neoproterozoic oceans, accumulated Fe(II) despite the presence of an active sulfur cycle.

Bibliography

Mikucki, J. A., Pearson, A., Johnston, D. T., Turchyn, A. V., Farquhar, J., Schrag, D. P., Anbar, A. D., Priscu, J. C., & Lee, P. A. (2009). A Contemporary Microbially Maintained Subglacial Ferrous “Ocean.” Science, 324(5925), 397–400.

Authors 9
  1. Jill A. Mikucki (first)
  2. Ann Pearson (additional)
  3. David T. Johnston (additional)
  4. Alexandra V. Turchyn (additional)
  5. James Farquhar (additional)
  6. Daniel P. Schrag (additional)
  7. Ariel D. Anbar (additional)
  8. John C. Priscu (additional)
  9. Peter A. Lee (additional)
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  34. G. Eischeld and S. Fawcett assisted with oxygen isotope measurements A. Masterson assisted with sulfur isotope measurements and G. Gordon assisted with iron isotope measurements. We are grateful for assistance from the Crary Laboratory Petroleum Helicopters Incorporated and S. Carter. We would like to extend a special thanks to McMurdo personnel B. Peace and W. Hayworth. Discussions with H. Keys M. Tranter K. Welch W. B. Lyons W. Hamilton F. MacDonald S. Shah and A. Knoll were helpful in formulating the ideas presented. The comments of three anonymous reviewers and A. J. Kaufman greatly improved the manuscript. This research was funded by an NSF Polar postdoctoral fellowship (OPP-0528710) to J.A.M. Additional support was provided by NSF grants EAR-0311937 (A.P.) OPP-432595 and OPP-0631494 (J.C.P.) and OPP-0338097 and OCE-0728683 (awarded to G. R. DiTullio) (P.A.L.); Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (A.V.T.); Harvard–Microbial Sciences Initiative; and NASA (NNX07AV51G) (D.T.J.). DNA sequences have been submitted to GenBank with accession numbers FJ389341 to FJ389351.
Dates
Type When
Created 16 years, 4 months ago (April 16, 2009, 4:53 p.m.)
Deposited 1 year, 7 months ago (Jan. 10, 2024, 4:58 a.m.)
Indexed 1 month, 4 weeks ago (June 26, 2025, 2:01 a.m.)
Issued 16 years, 4 months ago (April 17, 2009)
Published 16 years, 4 months ago (April 17, 2009)
Published Print 16 years, 4 months ago (April 17, 2009)
Funders 0

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@article{Mikucki_2009, title={A Contemporary Microbially Maintained Subglacial Ferrous “Ocean”}, volume={324}, ISSN={1095-9203}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1167350}, DOI={10.1126/science.1167350}, number={5925}, journal={Science}, publisher={American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)}, author={Mikucki, Jill A. and Pearson, Ann and Johnston, David T. and Turchyn, Alexandra V. and Farquhar, James and Schrag, Daniel P. and Anbar, Ariel D. and Priscu, John C. and Lee, Peter A.}, year={2009}, month=apr, pages={397–400} }